Surprise, Surprise UPDATE
by Em Pataki
Summary: Arnold wants to do something special to celebrate his one year anniversary with Helga.
1. Chapter 1

**Starfiction123 requested I write a story where Arnold confessed his love for Helga. After reviewing my stories, I realized I had done that once before. Therefore, I updated and edited the story in which he did that. Hopefully you'll enjoy the changes and additions I've made to it :)**

Chapter 1: Let's Celebrate

It was the start of their seventh grade year. Arnold was sitting in class, working on a special list of things he had planned to put together for someone when he heard…

"Out of my way Pink boy!"

He looked up from his paper to see his girlfriend had shoved their overweight classmate (who was digging into the garbage for the remains of a Mr. Fudgy bar) out of the way of the door.

As Helga stomped angrily past Arnold to take her seat behind him, he turned around to ask "Hey Helga, how are you?"

Crossing her arms, leaning back in her seat, Helga glared as she scoffed "Pttss...what's it to ya?"

Before Arnold could respond, Mr. Simmons entered the room. "Hello class! Today's going to be a very special day!"

The students all gave him unamused looks as Helga rolled her eyes, thinking to herself _What makes this loser think any day can be unique if he considers them ALL to be special?_

As she sat there leaning forward in her desk with her head propped against her hand, doodling pictures of her beloved in her notebook, she saw a sheet of paper being passed back to her.

Helga quickly snatched the sheet after circling the room with her eyes to make sure everyone else's attention was directed towards Mr. Simmons' boring Science lecture.

After grabbing the paper, Helga opened it to read…

 _It's been a year that we've been dating now. I thought we could go out to celebrate tonight?_

Helga's eyes fell half-lidded along with the feel of her heart beginning to flutter. It was a dream come true for him to finally feel that way about her. There was just one problem.

 _We can't go out in public football head! What would happen if everyone saw us walking down the street holding hands together? Criminy! They'd never let us live it down!_

Arnold shook his head disappointedly while trying not to let out too deep of a sigh.

 _Helga, we can't keep this secret forever._

Arnold wondered if it had been pointless to give his opinion. He already knew the type of response he would be receiving from her.

 _Says who, football head?!_

When Helga saw he wasn't passing back a response, she sat hunched over in her desk twirling her pencil nervously.

 _Criminy! Why do I have to do that? Why must I let my insecurities get the best of me? Oh Arnold if only you knew how sorry I am! The torture I feel watching you become the everyday victim of my reputation. If only you…_

"Helga? Helga? Helga!" a voice called, snapping her out of her fantasy world.

"What? What do you want football head?!" she scowled, pointing a finger at him.

"I was just trying to pass back the assignment." Arnold replied hesitantly, as she snatched them from him. "Yeah, yeah, hand 'em over! Sheesh!"

After a few hours of pondering her emotions and irrational negativity, Helga heard the lunch bell ring.

As she placed her books in her desk, she looked over to hear "How have you been since yesterday Helga?"

"Well, I got up this morning to hear Bob scowling about his lucky belt missing, to feel Olga wrap me in one of her death trap hugs in the hallway, and to top it off...find Miriam forgot to pack my lunch AGAIN! To answer your question, I'm just peachy." Helga scoffed.

Although Phoebe hadn't expected a much better response from her, given the fact that Helga had always been neglected by her family, she felt it would have been impolite not to ask.

 _Hallway_

As the girls were heading for the cafeteria, Arnold and Gerald had stopped by their lockers a moment.

"Man Arnold! What were you working on this morning that was so mind boggling you couldn't answer my question?" Gerald complained.

"Uhh sorry Gerald, I was just working on something for Helga." Arnold admitted, rubbing his neck.

"Of course you were." Gerald replied, crossing his arms.

"What was your question again?" Arnold asked hesitantly.

"Mm, mm, mmm! I was going to ask if you wanted to hang out tonight, but something tells me Pataki has you booked." Gerald guessed, shaking his head.

Arnold blushed as he replied "I was just trying to think of something special to do for our one year anniversary. She's still afraid to let people know we're a couple though."

"Afraid? Since when did 'Old Betsy' and 'The Five Avengers' turn into a couple of scaredy cats?" Gerald asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"I don't know. I wanted to take her out to dinner and a movie. If she's still not comfortable around other people though, I guess I'll just have to see if she'd like to do it all at my place." Arnold sighed, staring at the floor.

He had been with Helga for a full year. What was it about him that made her feel the need to hide their relationship? A bigger question maybe, what was it about her that made him want to stay in a relationship with her?

 _Cafeteria_

The boys made it there to see their girlfriends sitting at a table together. Gerald wasted no time headed in Phoebe's direction, while Arnold stood and stared at Helga sadly drumming her fingers against the table; as if she were anxiously awaiting the lunch period to end.

As Gerald approached the table, Phoebe turned to hear him say "Hey babe, what's up?"

"I'm quite well Gerald. How are you today?" She replied, while Helga seemed uninterested in their conversation. As she continued tapping her fingers, she suddenly noticed a tray being placed in front of her.

"Here you go Helga."

Helga looked over to see her boyfriend had brought her a burger, two chocolate milks with two bendy straws, and some tapioca pudding. She looked up at his innocent smile with her dreamy eyes that cried out for his attention. A moment later, she shook her head and scowled "What's this for football head?"

"I saw you didn't have a lunch, and you need to eat." he insisted, while seeing her roll her eyes.

"I don't NEED to do anything...especially not if it involves anything to do with you." she smirked.

"Helga, just eat! I know you're hungry!" Arnold began to snap, not realizing how loud his voice became. Helga's eyes then widened at the thought of someone hearing their little spat. Which would be worse? Someone seeing her accept his food, or hearing him offer it to her?

"Fine! Gimme that pudding!" she scowled, while seeing him roll his eyes.

"Talk about showing appreciation." Gerald said wittingly as he took a bite of his sandwich.

Helga began to glare as she leaned back in her seat, taking spoonful after spoonful of the pudding. Arnold simply smiled at the fact that he was able to make her accept it. Although he didn't appreciate her need to keep her reputation in tact, it was nice being able to do something for her.

"So, do you have anything planned for tonight Helga?" Phoebe asked, while Arnold immediately turned his attention towards her.

"Uhhh…." she began, holding the spoon in her mouth.

Gerald rolled his eyes at the thought of not being able to just say _Yes! Arnold and I are doing something special!_

"Since she seems to have a bit of leftover amnesia, why don't you and I do something tonight babe?" Gerald asked, trying to help his friends out.

Arnold past Gerald an appreciative look, while Helga continued to glare at his witty remarks made towards her behavior.

"Why that would be delightful Gerald! What would you like to do?" Phoebe wondered, while Arnold wrapped his arm around Helga.

"Hmm...well we could…" Gerald began, before being interrupted.

"Look everybody! Awwnold's got his arm around Helgaaa! Arnold and Helga sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! Harold began to sing, as Arnold looked down to see his arm resting behind Helga's back.

Helga's face turned bright red, as she watched the entire cafeteria laugh at her. The whole reason Helga wanted to keep their relationship a secret was to uphold her reputation. Now here she was with a chance to prove how tough she was, but felt weaker than ever. Rather than going over to punch Harold, Helga ran out of the cafeteria as quickly as she could.

"Helga wait!" Arnold called but wasn't able to stop her. After seeing her race out, Arnold turned his angry face towards his teasing classmates and went over to approach them.

"Mm, mm, mmm! So, how about a movie?" Gerald asked Phoebe as he shook his head, not wanting to get involved in their drama.

Arnold angrily marched over to the table with Sid, Stinky, and Harold. Not long after Harold began singing his song did he have the rest of their friends spreading rumors about Helga.

"Harold! How would you feel if someone made fun of you like that?" Arnold asked sternly.

"What are you talking about Arnold? She makes fun of us every day!" Sid exclaimed.

Arnold sighed a moment, knowing it was true. It wasn't exactly easy to defend a bully who was being bullied.

"Even if that's true, it doesn't make it okay for you to do it to her." he pointed out, rubbing his neck.

"And why may I ask is that?" Rhonda couldn't help but butt in, after eavesdropping from another table.

"You all think she's a bad person. Well if you decide to pick on her, it doesn't make you any better of a person than her." Arnold insisted, placing his hands on his hips, giving them all stern looks.

"Hey! She calls me Pink boy...and Tub of Lard...and... and... makes fun of the way I eat!" Harold whined, slamming his fists on the table.

"Yeah, I mean every day she comes up with a reason to insult us. What did we ever do to her?" Sid asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"I reckon she's just your average school yard bully." Stinky shrugged his shoulders, while Arnold planted his face in his hand.

"Listen guys. I know she can be a lot to deal with, but…." Arnold began, before being interrupted.

"Why do you even care Arnold? She's paid more negative attention to you than anyone else in our class." Rhonda couldn't help but point out as his eyes began to widen. Here was his chance to tell everyone the truth about what was going on between him and Helga. The only person's opinion he had to worry about was Helga's.

After taking a gulp, he decided now was as good a time as ever to confess. "I care because she's my girlfriend."

Gerald nearly choked on what was left of his sandwich, having been listening to the argument from across the room.

"I reckon I must of heard that wrong. There ain't no way you said Helga's your girlfriend, Arnold." Stinky insisted, scratching his head.

"Yeah, it's true Stinky. So, if you all are done picking on her, I'd appreciate it if you could all just go back to eating and mind your own business from now on." Arnold sighed, marching away from the table.

Arnold made his way across the cafeteria and into the hallway to find Helga.

"Mm, mm, mmm! He's a bold kid!" Gerald said, watching his best friend head to find his girlfriend.

 _Hallway_

"Helga? Helga? Helga!" Arnold called out, looking for his girlfriend. After not receiving a response, he turned his head towards the floor, thinking of the mess that had been made…

 _I guess she was right about the way everyone would react. They know about our relationship now though; the worst is over?_

Arnold stood and pondered this until he felt a hand being placed on his shoulder. He turned around to see a friendly yet concerned face waiting for him.

"Oh hey Phoebe."

"Hello Arnold. I'm assuming you're searching for Helga?"

"Yeah. I don't know where she could be."

"I believe I have an idea, if you'd like to go back to the cafeteria to finish lunch. She and I will meet you in the classroom when the bell rings." Phoebe assured him, seeing a smile form on her friend's face.

"Thanks Phoebe."

 _Restroom_

While all the commotion between their classmates was taking place, Helga had been hiding in the girl's restroom.

After making sure she was alone, she pulled out her precious piece of jewelry that had made her feel as though a piece of her beloved remained close to her heart…

 _Oh Arnold, what have I done? For the past year you've sacrificed your dignity by putting up with my brutality! Why? All because I'm too weak to overcome the treacherous thought of being mocked and ridiculed. I have not been fair to you my love. Here I stand lurking in the shadows while you're out there dealing with whatever reckless criticizing and behavior our immature classmates may be…._

"Helga?" a voice called from behind.

Helga twirled around, hiding her locket inside her shirt.

"Phoebe! Sheesh! Don't scare me like that!" she scoffed.

"Are you okay Helga? I realize that was not the easiest situation for someone with your emotional conflictions to face." Phoebe pointed out.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Helga sighed.

 _Cafeteria_

Arnold once again sat beside his best friend in the cafeteria to finish out the remainder of the lunch period. Sitting with his hands folded on the table and a troubled look on his face, he listened to Gerald ask "So, you find Pataki?"

"Phoebe said she knew where she might be. They're just going to meet us in the classroom."

"I gotta say. The last thing I expected was her running away from a fight. Normally, she's the one to cause them." Gerald said, seeing Arnold roll his eyes.

Although he didn't appreciate the harsh remark, Arnold took these words into consideration, making him ask himself _Why do I love Helga so much?_

All the kids had already pointed out she paid him more negative attention than anyone else in their school. Yeah, it was a great thing for her to have woken up his parents, but that didn't mean he owed her his heart. His friendship maybe, but not his heart.

They were two very different people. He was open minded and optimistic while possessed a pessimistic personality with no guarantee of ever finding the strength to share and express her intimate feelings for Arnold in front of other people.

 _Recess_

Sitting on the swing, twirling back and forth in the seat, Arnold sighed, wondering what his girlfriend maybe discussing with her best friend.

"Forget about it man. By the end of the day, it'll be yesterday's news." Gerald said, referring to the scene in the cafeteria.

"I guess."

Rolling his eyes at the depressing remark, Gerald replied "Alright spill it! What's the problem? Pataki's tough. Those classmates of ours make fun of everyone. What are you so concerned about?"

Arnold didn't want to tell Gerald what was on his mind. Gerald was his best friend, but if there was one thing the two of them went back and forth with their positive opinions of...it was Helga. Now was not the time for any unnecessary criticism.

"I'm just worried about what her reaction will be when she finds out I told everyone she's my girlfriend.

"And you care because?" Gerald said wittingly, proving Arnold's mistake to have mentioned anything.

"You heard what everyone said. Why do I care about her when she's always so mean to me? I've always known it was just a cover. Shouldn't my opinion be the only one that matters to her though? Why does she care about having the class' respect?" Arnold asked, thinking out loud to himself.

 _Restroom_

"Surely the idea of keeping up the appearances for your reputation can't compare to the idea of finally having acquired Arnold's feelings?" Phoebe continued spending what was left of their free time in the restroom watching her friend sulk over the sink.

"I don't know Pheebs. I never wanted to be this person. I've been this way for so long though, everyone would see me showing a sign of weakness as the perfect opportunity to seek revenge on me!"

"Perhaps if…" Before her friend could finish, the girls heard someone entering the restroom.

"Well, well, what have we here?" a prudish voice called out, as Helga and Phoebe turned to see their stylish classmate grinning widely at them.

"What do you want Princess?!"

"I merely came to say Arnold is devastated. First you run out on him after causing such a huge scene in the cafeteria. Now here you are hiding, leaving him to deal with the drama all alone." Rhonda smirked, hoping to guilt Helga as much as possible.

Clenching her fists mercilessly, Helga exclaimed "Why do you care?! You and the rest of those lame brains were the ones who started making fun of us to begin with!"

Standing full of pride, loving the upset look on her classmate's face, Rhonda replied "Yet, you deprived yourself of what I can only assume means more to you than your relationship… the chance to show how tough you are."

Helga's eyes widened as she lowered her fist, watching Rhonda happily leave the restroom. As she stood there in shock, Phoebe couldn't help but notice Rhonda mentioning knowing about Helga's relationship with Arnold going in one ear and out the other with Helga.

 _Playground_

Standing beside his best friend (who was still moping on the swings) Gerald said "Look man, if the saying is true 'there's someone out there for everyone' then it probably is you for her."

Lifting an eyebrow, Arnold asked "Why do you say that?"

"Arnold, do you really think a relationship could handle two people like that girl? You're just the kind of thing she needs to straighten her out. You've got more patience than everyone in the class put together. All you ever do is look on the bright side (the last side of town you'd find her on). She made it clear a year ago how much you mean to her (even if she does do a lousy job of showing it)." Gerald assured his friend, seeing a weak smile form on Arnold's face.

 _Classroom_

Arnold made it back to the classroom with a smile on his face after his conversation with Gerald. His secret was out in the open. He had been reminded how right he and Helga were for each other. All he had to figure out now was how to celebrate their anniversary.

Although Arnold had quite a content look on his face, he couldn't help but take notice of the sorrowful expression his girlfriend was carrying.

"Alright class! We're going to pick up where we left off with math yesterday." Mr. Simmons started, while Helga didn't seem as giddy about the chance to revel at her hand made sculpture inside her math book. Instead, she leaned her head in her hand, tapping her pencil against the desk, thinking about what had happened back in the cafeteria.

Her mind was so far gone, she didn't notice the note thrown on her desk. It wasn't until she noticed the clicking of her pencil against the desk was being interrupted by a sheet of paper underneath it, that she pulled her head out of its fantasy land.

Helga opened the sheet to read…

 _I'm really sorry about what happened. You don't have to worry though, because I took care of it._

A weak smile formed on her face. That is, until she asked herself _What does he mean 'took care of it?'_

Helga anxiously wrote her response, not thinking about the attention she maybe drawing towards them.

 _What do you mean you 'took care of it?'_

Arnold gulped at her question. He knew he was taking a risk back in the cafeteria. Still, he didn't regret his actions. Whether or not Helga realized it, the humiliation of having her emotions exposed was no worse than the torture of bottling them up all those years.

 _I told them to stop picking on you._

Helga didn't like people fighting her battles for her. Just the fact that she ran away from something as childish as Harold singing about her and Arnold made her appear weak enough. She didn't need Arnold standing up for her on top of it.

 _And…._

Arnold knew she would always assume there was a catch to everything. This case was no different.

 _I told them you're my girlfriend._

Helga crumpled up the paper, tempted to use it to shoot her first spitball at him that day. She could feel her body trembling. Although the class' eyes remained on the teacher, she felt as though they were all focused on her.

Arnold waited and waited for a response, but never received one. It got to the point where he was becoming just as, if not more, tense than his girlfriend. He continued staring at the clock counting down the minutes, waiting for the opportunity to turn around and face her.

At last, the moment came. When the bell rang, Arnold whipped his head around and said "Helga I'm sorry! I had to make them leave you alone! It was the only way! Please forgive me!"

As she patiently stood up from her desk with a hand on her hip, she rolled her eyes and smirked "Criminy! Is Sid's paranoid attitude contagious? If so, I'm going to need you to stay five feet away."

Arnold gave a puzzled look, not knowing what made her so calm all of a sudden. "Uhh right. So, did you want to come back to my place, or did you want to go out now?"

"Hmm...We can go out, but it's gotta be good. What you did to me in the cafeteria wasn't exactly first class, and I'm not just talking about your arm on my shoulder!" she scoffed.

"Whatever you say Helga." Arnold sighed, leaving the room with Gerald.

While the boys left the room, Helga turned to her best friend and said "Thanks for the pep talk."

"Why certainly Helga!" Phoebe replied

 _Last hour of class_

 _What am I going to do Pheebs?! He told everyone we're in a relationship! Criminy!_

 _Helga, carrying the burden of this secret on your shoulders for the past year couldn't have been any better than the stress of repressing your unrequited love for Arnold. If I recall your feelings correctly, it was just as torturous for you not being able to tell him how you felt as it was not knowing how he felt._

 _What's that in English?_

 _You no longer have to live with the stress of worrying who may find out about the two of you. Everyone knows now. Arnold has taken care of the hostility. You've nothing left to fear._

After school

As the girls were leaving class, Helga approached Arnold at his locker "So, should I just come on over to your place, Romeo?"

"Are you really that comfortable expressing your feelings for him that way now, or are you just referring to our fourth grade play?" Gerald couldn't help but ask.

Arnold rolled his eyes at the remark before turning to face Helga "If you wouldn't mind waiting awhile, I've got some homework to finish. Is six o'clock okay?"

"Whatever floats your boat football head. Come on Pheebs." she scoffed, heading for the door.

"Coming!" Phoebe chirped, following her demanding friend.

Once the girls were out of sight, Gerald turned to Arnold and asked "So, are six math problems really going to take you until six o'clock to do, or do you have something special planned for your lady?"

"Even though I couldn't be happier we're out in the open, I feel pretty guilty about the way it happened." Arnold admitted, rubbing his neck.

"Of course you do." Gerald said, crossing his arms.

"Yeah well, I want to make it up to her." he replied, grabbing his backpack.

"Uh huh? So what's your plan?" Gerald asked, leaning against the lockers.

"I'll tell you later. Have fun with Phoebe." Arnold said, anxiously leaving his friend.

"Whatever you say Arnold."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: What Can I Do?

 _Pier_

"Ptui!" An aggressive preteen hacked as she and her friend sat on the edge of the pier.

"May I ask what special events you and Arnold have planned for tonight?" Phoebe couldn't help but wonder.

As Helga sat there, staring at her reflection in the water, she replied "Ya got me. He said he just wanted to celebrate our one year anniversary."

"That sounds lovely." Phoebe insisted, while Helga tried not to roll her eyes.

"Pttss...I guess. As fixated as he is on this 'special' evening, he's got me wondering if he's any relation to Simmons." Helga said wittingly.

"Perhaps this would be a good opportunity to prove to Arnold how much he means to you." Phoebe suggested, while seeing Helga cock her brow.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"A great fear you possess is that he may not realize how strong your feelings truly are for him, all because of your insecurities." Phoebe began, while Helga began to shake at the thought of the topic she was discussing.

"Perhaps you could do something special for him tonight. Something to show your secretive behavior in no way pertains to how you feel about him."

Helga sat silently for a moment, considering the outcome of the situation. If she didn't do anything for Arnold, she would just have to continue praying he knew how strong her feelings for him were.

If she did do something for him, the only person she would have to worry about being judged by was herself. How else would she ever learn to get over her insecurities however?

"Okay Pheebs, I'll do it. What can I do for him? I already found his parents. I don't think anything else could top that! Sheesh!" she scoffed.

"Perhaps you could simply use this night as an opportunity to show him you're capable of showing your sensitive side when you're with him around other people."

"What? You mean do like Little Miss Perfect would and pretend I'm too dense to know what an insult is?" Helga scoffed as she cocked her brow once again.

Phoebe simply nodded at the idea while Helga rolled her eyes at the thought of giving up her hostile behavior. Although it originally began as a cover to hide her intimate feelings for Arnold, it became a part of her over the years.

"Criminy! Alright, I guess I can lay off the aggressiveness for one night. Anyone who picks on me will be answering to Old Betsy!" Helga warned her best friend as the two of them left the docks.

 _Arnold's Room_

Arnold was sitting in his room at the computer looking up movie times and fancy places to eat at when he heard a knock at his door.

"Come in."

"Hey shortman!" Phil replied, as he brought in a plate of chocolate chip cookies.

"Hey grandpa." Arnold said, not turning away from the computer.

"What's eatin' ya?"

"I've got a surprise for Helga. I'm just trying to finish it before she gets here." Arnold explained, while Phil pulled up a chair beside him.

"Surprise eh? I remember the week your grandma and I started dating." Phil began to explain, while Arnold glimpsed out of the corner of his eye.

"I wanted so badly for her to let me tell people we were going out. Then one day I decided to take matters into my own hands."

"What did you do about it?" Arnold asked, giving Phil his full attention.

"I walked over to her with a box of chocolates in the cafeteria. Instead of accepting them, she slammed my face right into them. Talk about surprising someone! Hehe." Phil laughed while seeing Arnold roll his eyes.

"I don't get it. What's the point?"

"The point is, not all girls are open books! Like that girl uhh...what was the name of that weirdo classmate of yours? You know the one who moved in here for a week and kept pickin' at the wallpaper cuz she couldn't afford to go out and buy shoes?" Phil asked, rubbing at his chin.

"You mean Rhonda?"

"Exactly! Not all girls are like her! Some girls are happy to show themselves off, and others just want you to stay the heck away from them. Hehe."

"Uhh thanks grandpa."

"Anytime shortman!" Phil said happily, as he got up to leave the room.

Although Arnold never expected serious advice to come from his grandpa, he decide to take Phil's words 'not all girls are alike' into consideration.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: I Love You

 _Helga's Room_

It was nearly six o'clock. Helga laid in her room on her bed, staring at the ceiling; counting down the minutes until she felt it would be appropriate to head over to Arnold's. The only reason she had bothered to stop by her place was to drop off her backpack. Had she not been carrying it, she would have been happy just to take a stroll around the park until it was time to see Arnold.

 _I wonder where he wants to go tonight? I hope those idiot classmates of ours weren't too hard on him when I ran away. I hope I can contain my aggressiveness and not screw things up like I always do tonight! I hope…_

"Helga!"

"What?!" she exclaimed, rolling her eyes at the idea of her thoughts being interrupted for what she was sure would be a stupid reason.

"Do you want to go shopping with me for some yummy ice cream? Daddy needs some to go with his cake!" Olga exclaimed.

"I'd rather have a root canal!" she scowled.

Although her sister didn't catch the tension behind her response, Helga laid there thinking about how she didn't bother to think twice about the way she responded to that. Was she going to be able to handle her night with Arnold, or should she just find another special way to prove how much he meant to her?

 _Phoebe's House_

KNOCK! KNOCK! Gerald stood on his girlfriend's front porch, anxious to start his evening with her. When the door opened, a smile formed on both their faces, as he said…

"Hey babe! Ready to go?"

Holding out his arm, he listened to her say "Certainly Gerald."

"I thought we'd see the new Pop Daddy movie!"

Although Phoebe wasn't as big a fan of the show as her boyfriend, she was just happy to be spending time with him. Giving him a content look, she nodded and said "That sounds delightful Gerald!"

 _Arnold's Room_

Arnold was printing his information off the computer when he noticed his bedroom door opening.

"Hey grand...Helga?! What are you doing here?" he gasped, trying to hide her surprise.

Cocking her brow at him, she scoffed "Well, it's not like you said this should be a special date night that I ended up undergoing public humiliation for or anything football head!"

"Uhh right. Sorry." Arnold said, scratching his head.

Helga stood by the doorway, wondering why he was continuing to sit in his desk chair. _Why is he just sitting there? If that's his idea of special, I could have stayed in my desk at school!_

After a moment of silence, Arnold looked up to see her holding one hand behind her back.

"What's in your hand?"

"Huh? You mean this? Oh it's nothing. Hehe" she laughed nervously.

Rolling his eyes at her nervousness, he got up to walk towards her. "The fact that you're not having an easy time telling me about it tells me that it's obviously something." he winked.

A glare formed on Helga's face as she scowled "Watch it football head! This night doesn't HAVE to be special."

"As long as you're here with me, it will be." he smiled, wrapping his arms around her.

Helga swooned at the touch of her beloved. The feeling of his soft hands around her arms, the way his warm body pressed against hers still managed to send chills flowing throughout her, the intoxicating aroma of his cornflower hair, it was all an easy calling to her sensitive side.

After being held in his arms a moment, she pushed him aside and said "Yeah, so what's your special plan for tonight, bucko?"

As Arnold continued to look at her with his half-lidded eyes which she always had a hard time not being hypnotized by, he took the box she had been holding in her hand.

It was a plain white box (no decorations whatsoever) tied together with a piece of thread.

"You must have spent hours working on this?" he couldn't help but tease her, as she began to clench her fist.

"Hey! I don't HAVE to let you keep it, anymore than I have to stay here." she scowled.

"I disagree." he smiled, pulling her in for a long, lingering kiss. He held her face in his hands, thinking about the sensitive person she was on the inside. She just wasn't willing to show it to other people. Rhonda on the other hand wasn't any different on the outside than she was on the inside.

After slowly releasing her lips, keeping their noses together, he could see her lips beginning to quiver. "So..so where are we going tonight?"

Arnold continued to smile at her, with a hand on her face, as he said "Actually, I thought we could stay here. I ordered us a pizza."

The nervousness in Helga's mind was immediately shattered. "Stay here? After getting so worked up over celebrating a year of being together, you decide we should just stay in and pig out?" she scoffed.

Arnold took her hand in his "I didn't mean to pressure you about revealing our relationship to everyone. I shouldn't have done it without your permission. As happy as it makes me, my grandpa made me realize not all girls are the same."

"Pttss...you really needed gramps to point that out to you?" she scoffed.

"No, it's just sometimes it's hard to believe that someone wouldn't be happy to let everyone know they're lucky enough to be with somebody." he began as Helga's eyes began to widen.

"Then he helped me realize that just because you have strong feelings for someone, that doesn't mean it will end up changing the type of person you are. You've loved me your whole life…" he continued as she began to blush fiercely.

"But now that I'm with you, returning your feelings, that hasn't changed the fact that you're not comfortable letting people know you have a sensitive side."

Helga let go of Arnold's hand to take a seat on his bed. With her hands folded in her lap, she stared at the floor and thought to herself _Is that really all I'm known for? My insensitivity! Why doesn't he just break up with me now?_

While Arnold was staring at the troubled look on Helga's face, they heard a knock on his door.

"Pizza's here shortman!" Phil exclaimed.

Arnold went to open the door, while Helga remained on the bed.

"Thanks grandpa."

"You're welcome. Don't have too much fun." Phil winked, making the kids blush once again.

Arnold took the pizza over to sit beside Helga on the bed. As he opened the box to offer her a slice, she waved a hand at it "Thanks, but I don't think I'm hungry right now."

"Why not? What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

 _Gerald Field_

"I still can't believe Arnold's dating Helga! Why would you date someone who spent all day torturing you?" Sid asked, tossing the ball to his classmates.

"Forget her hostility. Can you imagine what being seen with her will do to his 'Cool kid' ratings? He used to be at the top of my list. By the time they're finished, there's no telling what things will be like." Rhonda scoffed.

"I don't reckon I recall ever seeing them two together?" Stinky said, trying to pinpoint the moment they may have gotten together.

 _Arnold's Room_

Helga sat there twiddling her thumbs, not sure of how to say what she was thinking without causing a huge commotion. She wanted them both to be happy, but could tell just from Arnold's short speech they were two very different people.

"Arnold, are you okay with the type of person I am, or do you just want to break up?" Helga asked softly, not taking her eyes off the floor.

While a depressing look remained on her face, a fearful look took over Arnold's. He instantly grabbed both her hands, scooting as close to her as possible.

"I would never want to break up with you! I'm more than okay with who you are! I just know there's more to you than what you're willing to let other people see, and wish you wouldn't be afraid to show them." he said worriedly, watching her eyes begin to water.

Helga turned her head away, not knowing how to respond. Even if she was capable of showing she had a sensitive side, she didn't like the way it felt. She didn't like the weak feeling it brought to her.

 _Avon Theater_

Sitting in the middle row with a bucket of popcorn and his arm around his girlfriend, Gerald said to Phoebe "This is the way to spend an evening."

Giggling at her boyfriend's flirtatious attitude, Phoebe replied "How do you suppose Arnold and Helga are doing?"

Gerald turned his head a moment, thinking back to everything he and Arnold had discussed on the playground. Their class' opinion of his relationship made Arnold question his own feelings for Helga. Arnold already knew his feelings were strong enough to see past Helga's rough exterior. Yet, the lack of support he was given by their classmates came to feel somewhat similar to what Helga felt the need to worry about experiencing, if she were to let go of her reputation.

"Well, those friends of ours didn't exactly race over to beg for his forgiveness after you went to search for Pataki. I'm sure they're fine though."

 _Arnold's Room_

"Even if I could, it wouldn't stop our dim-witted classmates from picking on me. I mean criminy! You saw what happened at lunch today! All it took was you setting your arm behind me to make us qualify for the school's weekly entertainment!" she scoffed, while doing her best to hold back the tears.

Arnold turned his girlfriend's face towards him, looking into her sad eyes. Keeping a hand against her soft skin, he said "Everyone gets teased for something Helga. The last thing I would want to do is ruin our night by pointing this out to you, but you pick on people every day. It maybe a self-defense mechanism, but it still hurts people."

For a brief second, Helga's eyes widened at the thought of him knowing the reason behind her behavior. Then she stopped to consider how long they had been together, and everything she had confessed to him since their first mutual kiss. Arnold was doing all he could to make things work between them, but what effort had she been putting into it?

"I'm sorry Arnold. I hurt you more than anyone else over the years; the last person I would ever WANT to hurt. You have no idea what torture it brought to my heart, each time I did something hostile towards you. The only thing I could think of that would feel worse than hurting you, would be the thought of you rejecting my feelings. The chance of any hope we may one day be together suddenly shattered. I couldn't risk that by letting you know how I felt." Helga said softly, holding his hand tightly.

Arnold examined the look of deep regret in her eyes. "I know why you acted that way around me Helga. I'm not upset with you."

"I should go." Helga sighed, about to get up from her seat on the bed.

Before she could move, Arnold pulled her in for a deep, passionate kiss. Although a part of her wanted to be alone with her thoughts, the other part of her could never resist the warm, welcoming feeling his sensitive side brought to her.

Slowly releasing his lips, he rested his head against hers, lacing their fingers together and said "This has been the best year of my life."

Normally such sweet words coming from her beloved would send chills flowing through her body. Helga however couldn't possibly understand how her constant torture for him to keep their love for one another a secret could be such an amazing year.

"Why is that?" she asked, cocking her brow.

 _Gerald Field_

"Maybe she'll be happier now that she'll with Arnold?" Nadine suggested, continuing on with their debate on Arnold and Helga's relationship.

"Happy? Seriously Nadine, what makes you think that girl possesses even the slightest ounce of joy in her body?" Rhonda smirked, seeing Nadine roll her eyes at her friend's inability to think positively of their classmate.

"Maybe it won't be so bad. I mean, I still think it's weird of Arnold, but he always see the good in people." Sid pointed out.

"Yeah, well I'm not okay with it! She was mean enough already! Now if she's a bully to me, Arnold won't try to stop her because they like each other!" Harold whined.

"This really bites!" Stinky added as the kids turned to hear…

"What's going on?"

 _Arnold's Room_

Arnold began to rub her hands with his thumbs as he said softly "Because I never understood what love was until we became a couple. I liked - liked girls. I knew though that the feelings I had for them, Lila and Ruth, couldn't be what adults felt for each other. Then when you and I became a couple, I experienced a completely different feeling." he began to explain as Helga lifted her head to listen.

"What kind of feeling?" she couldn't help but ask as her voice began to shake. Was the boy she had been head over heels for actually about to tell her he loved her?

As he lifted his head to meet her eyes, he could see the anxious look in them. She knew what she wanted, but was he ready to say it?

"It's kind of funny. When I had hoped to win Lila over, I always felt the need to do something impressive. When I'm with you though, I don't feel that type of pressure put on me. I'm much more relaxed and am always able to just be myself."

Helga couldn't help but roll her eyes. She wasn't sure whether or not to take that as an insult. Apparently Arnold didn't see her as the high maintenance type someone would have to work hard to win over.

"So you like me because being with me doesn't require any stressful loving gestures to live up to?" she smirked, looking away from him.

"No, I love you because you love me just as I am and never made me feel like there was anything I needed to change about myself. I love you the way you are too. I just wish you weren't so insecure about showing the feelings you have for me."

Helga's eyes widened at the sound of the words 'I love you' leaving her beloved's voice. Not only that, but he said he loved her just as she was. To have someone so sweet and sensitive love someone as rough and aggressive as her was bewildering.

Before Arnold could continue, Helga threw her arms around his neck, pressing her lips firmly against his. While Arnold knew his girlfriend would never be exactly like the other girls in the class, there was a sweet side to her that was more than enough to make up for the aggressive side. Maybe someday the rest of their friends would be lucky enough to see it.

As Helga slowly released his lips, she kept their noses pressed together, holding his face in her hands. Arnold couldn't help but glance behind her at the gift she had gotten him that was sitting on his bed.

 _Gerald Field_

The gang turned their heads to see Gerald and Phoebe standing together, having heard most of their conversation.

"What's going on?" Gerald asked.

"Nothing. We were just playing catch." Sid began to explain.

"And we sure weren't talking about what a dumb idea it is for Arnold to be dating Helga." Stinky insisted, before being hushed by the group.

Gerald began to shake his head, knowing that even if their classmates' opinions didn't matter, it didn't mean they weren't still a pain to deal with.

"Look you guys, my man's love life is none of your business. He's done more for each of you than all of you have for each other combined. The least you can do to pay him back is mind your own business when it comes to who he wants to date. Got it?" Gerald insisted, not noticing the loving look his girlfriend was giving him.

The emotional support her boyfriend was giving to her best friend meant as much to her as it did to Arnold.

Looking at the ground full of shame, their classmates sighed in agreement. It wouldn't be easy watching the class problem solver dating the class problem causer. Then again, opposites not only attract, but in some cases, cancel each other out.

 _Arnold's Room_

"So, do I get to open my present?" Arnold laughed.

"Pttss...you choose opening a box like some three year old on Christmas over making out with your girlfriend?" she scoffed, rolling her eyes at him.

"I'll give you your present." he offered, with a wide grin on his face.

"Fine! It better make up for that lunch spat." she warned him, passing the box his way.

Arnold once again examined the plain white box, wondering what could be in it. As he was pulling the thread off it, he saw Helga shaking mercilessly.

He was tempted to question her nervousness, but felt he had put her on the spot enough for one night.

As he pulled the top off the box, he looked inside to see her most treasured item.

"Why are you giving me your locket?" he couldn't help but wonder.

"Look football head, we both know I'm never going to be the sensitive type. I don't know if you'll end up leaving me later down the line because of that or not. Hopefully this shows you though how much you always have and always will mean to me." she sighed, rubbing the back of her neck.

Arnold looked at her with half lidded eyes and his signature smile that always managed to make her heart melt at the sight of it. As he placed his hand on her thigh, he handed it back to her.

"Do you not want it?" she asked, cocking her brow.

"I want you to keep it. I like being close to your heart." he smiled, holding it up to her chest.

Helga swooned deeply, listening to his words, feeling his hand pressed against hers, as they held her locket against her chest.

After a moment of silence, Helga smirked and said "Are you just giving it back so you definitely do have the best gift?"

Arnold kissed her on the cheek as he replied "I don't think my gift is as special as yours."

"What makes you so sure?" she smirked.

"Because the most beautiful gift can come in the plainest box." Arnold said, hugging her tight.

"Oh don't flatter yourself!" she scoffed, knowing what he was referring to.

"Whatever you say Helga." he sighed, as he walked over to the computer to get Helga's gift.

"If gifts earn points from poor packaging, I'd say you definitely won, hairboy!" Helga scoffed, as she saw her boyfriend walking over to hand her a sheet of paper.

"Yeah, this was kind of a last minute decision. After thinking about the advice my grandpa gave me earlier, it made it easy for me to figure out what to surprise you with." Arnold rubbed his neck, while handing Helga the sheet.

"Let's see how good gramp's love advice really is." Helga smirked, snatching the sheet. She looked at the paper Arnold had printed to see it was the receipt for tickets to Wrestlemania.

A wide grin formed on her face. The kind Arnold saw every time she pulled a prank on him; shooting spitballs, spraying him at the fountain, cutting in the lunch line, or throwing an insulting nickname at him in public.

As he took a seat beside her, he asked "Do you like to be so aggressive with me because you love wrestling, or do you love wrestling because it reminds you of how aggressive you are with me?"

Helga set aside the paper as she pressed her lips firmly against his, wrapping her tongue around his tightly. Shoving their noses together, shifting the positions of their faces, she began to let out an intense moan as he wrapped his arms around her. Once she felt the need for a breath, she leaned her face against his and whispered "Which one do you think it is?"

 _Phoebe's House_

"That was a lovely thing you did for our friend's Gerald." Phoebe insisted, saying goodbye to her boyfriend.

"Yeah. I don't know when those friends of ours will learn to grow up. I'm starting to see Pataki's point about secretive relationships." Gerald rolled his eyes, as he girlfriend let out a small laugh.

"Now that she and Arnold have the class' emotional support, they should have no problem opening up on their own."

"We can only hope. Night babe." Gerald said, giving his girlfriend a short but sweet kiss.

Phoebe and Gerald had been their for Arnold and Helga in more ways than they could count throughout the years. Now that they were a couple, experiencing the same types of relations, that was just one more example of emotional support Arnold and Helga would have to count on their friends for.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: You Owe It To Him

HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD! HEY ARNOLD!

When Arnold awoke that morning, his mind was spinning with thought…

 _I told Helga I love her, our friends know we're in a relationship, she and I have been dating for a year, we're going to Wrestlemania tonight!_

After taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Arnold got up to get dressed, then headed downstairs for breakfast.

Arnold took a seat beside his grandpa, as he listened to Phil say "Hey there shortman! How'd your little date go last night?"

"Pretty good. We're going to Wrestlemania tonight." Arnold said with an eager smile on his face.

"Wrestling eh? Maybe I was wrong. She's not the type to keep her opinions to herself. Hehe." Phil laughed, seeing Arnold roll his eyes at the joke.

"Uhh right. I'm going to meet Gerald at the arcade. See ya later grandpa."

"See ya shortman!"

 _Walk To The Arcade_

Gerald was heading down the street to meet his best friend. After finishing his date with Helga, Arnold called Gerald to talk about his special evening. The gift he got her, the special thoughts they shared with each other, and the three words he finally said to her she had been longing to hear.

Anxious to finish his conversation with his best friend, Gerald heard a voice from across the street...

"Awww Gee!"

Gerald looked over to see Harold digging through his pockets for some spare change to buy a Mr. Fudgey from the Jolly Olly man.

As Harold fell to his knees in front of the arrogant ice cream man, Gerald listened to him scream "Please! Please! I'll do anything!"

"Sorry kid. No change, no treat!"

Gerald stood on the opposite side of the street, rolling his eyes as he thought to himself _I can't believe I'm doing this…_

The Jolly Olly man was turning to get into his truck when Harold felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Huh?"

Rather than hearing an explanation, Gerald simply held out the money, waiting for his friend to take it.

"You, you mean it? Alright!"

 _Arcade_

Arnold arrived at the arcade to see Runaway Bus Driver taken, but not by his best friend. The football headed kid stood in the entrance to the arcade as he thought to himself _I wonder why Gerald hasn't made it here yet?_

 _Street_

"Why should I do that? She's not my dumb girlfriend?" Harold pointed out, sucking on his popsicle, as he listened to Gerald's request.

"Look Bubba, just because you and the rest of the class agreed to lay off Arnold and Pataki, doesn't exactly mean you all now have clean slates."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harold asked, as his popsicle began dripping down his shirt.

"I'm saying unless you want that conscience of yours to start kicking in, I'd suggest doing this for him." Gerald pointed a finger at his friend.

"What's a conscience?" Harold asked, giving a puzzled look.

As Gerald rolled his eyes with his hands on his waist, a familiar face approached them...

 _Phoebe's House_

"So how'd the movie go last night Pheebs?" Helga asked, leaning back against her friend's bed.

"It was quite pleasant. How may I ask was your evening with Arnold?" Phoebe requested knowing, as she watched her friend blush.

"It was...okay." Helga stuttered. Normally, she was comfortable revealing her secrets to Phoebe. There were certain times however when she wasn't able to easily spill out the information.

"Did anything unusual happen?" her friend couldn't help but pry, as Helga began to rub the back of her neck.

"Uhh...not really. We just hung out in his room and ate pizza. Pttss...if you can even call that a date." Helga scoffed.

"I believe he was just trying to fulfill your internal desires by not pushing you to expose your relationship." Phoebe explained, as her best friend began to roll her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"Did you not have a good time then?"

Sighing at the question, Helga said "It was great Pheebs. He got me tickets to Wrestlemania and told me…"

As she began to stutter, Phoebe took notice of the guilty look in her friend's eyes and said "he loves you?"

"Yeah Pheebs. He does."

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you appear to be dismayed about?"

Pulling her knees up to her chest, with a frown on her face, Helga sighed "I guess I'm just feeling guilty. We talked about my rough side and how even if it is just a cover, it doesn't excuse the fact that it hurts people."

"Well, this is a lesson everyone experiences in life. The important thing is he knows your feelings go deeper than your actions and has forgiven you for any negative behavior you may have previously shown him." Phoebe explained, seeing her friend smile weakly.

"Thanks Pheebs."

 _Street_

"Hey Patty!" Harold greeted his close friend who had also seen the ice cream truck.

"Hey guys. What's going on?" she asked.

"I was just telling Bubba here a good way to pay Arnold back for the scene he caused at school would be taking them backstage at Wrestlemania tonight.

Whining at the need to make it up to his friend, Harold sighed "Why do I need to do anything? Nobody else is going to be there?"

After having heard enough of the conversation, Patty rolled her eyes and said "Harold, haven't you learned anything?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, nearing the end of his treat.

"Don't you remember the week we started hanging out?" Patty asked, while Gerald listened curiously to the story.

"Uhh..." Before Harold could respond, Patty went on to remind him of what had happened.

"You were afraid to have lunch with me, because the other boys kept calling me mean things. Eventually, you realized their opinions weren't important when it came to how you felt about me. Just like how Arnold feels about Helga."

After listening to the story, Harold groaned and said "Fine! I'll see you there!"

After watching his friend stomp off, Gerald shook his head and said "Mm, mm, mmm! I gotta say, you were just about the last person I would have expected to stand up for Pataki."

"Well, Arnold told me she doesn't mean to be a pain in the butt. After he said that, I had a feeling that they had a thing for each other."

"Is that why I saw him smiling at you, rather than running over to console her after your 'fight'?" Gerald asked wittingly.

 _Arcade_

Arnold was getting ready to exit the game filled station when he saw his best friend at last approaching.

"Hey Arnold!"

"Gerald! Where were you?"

"Sorry man, I ran into Harold on the way over here."

Not knowing why that would matter, Arnold asked "Did he need help with something?"

 _Later That Evening_

 _Helga's House_

Laying on her bed, thinking about the sweet time she had shared with her boyfriend the previous night, Helga was anxious to see what this evening had in store for her. Pulling her locket out of her shirt, she softly ran a finger across her loved one's face as she said to herself...

 _Oh my beloved! Now that you've at last reciprocated my feelings; equally met my passionate desires, all that stands between us is my stubborn inability to turn the other cheek on anyone who may think differently of us. Give me the strength, the urge if you will, to..._

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Hey Helga! You in there? Your little friend Alfred's downstairs!" Bob exclaimed.

Helga anxiously sat up from her bed, ready to meet her boyfriend downstairs. As she ran downstairs, she saw Arnold nervously waiting in the doorway.

"Hey football head." she smiled, anxious to get away from her home.

"Ready to go?"

"You have no idea!" she scoffed, taking his hand out the doorway.

The two walked down the street hand in hand as Arnold took notice of the solemn look on his girlfriend's face.

"Is everything okay, Helga?"

Sighing deeply as she felt him rubbing her hand, she looked over to say "I've just been thinking about everything we talked about last night. I really am sorry Arnold."

Arnold stopped their walk as he turned to look at his girlfriend. "Helga, you don't have to be sorry about anything. We know how we feel about each other now. Everyone else knows. What's crazy is, that scene at lunch made me question exactly why I love you."

Helga's eyes began to widen as she listened to this.

"For part of the day, I actually let the class' opinion of us make me question my feelings for you. I guess it just upset me because I felt that's what you were doing; letting their opinion question your feelings for me. I'm just a more upfront person than you are though." he explained, seeing a smile form on her face.

"Thanks football head."

 _Wrestlemania_

"You call that a DOINK?!" Helga screamed at the pin, ignoring the loving look her boyfriend was giving her.

"What is a doink?" Arnold couldn't help but ask, placing his hand on his girlfriend's (after she was finished waving her fist at the wrestlers).

"It's when you hold your punch for three seconds before being nice enough to release your opponent. Not that these guys deserve any leniency." Helga scoffed.

Watching his girlfriend's wide eyes remain on the pin, Arnold moved his hand to her thigh, not expecting it to be much of a distraction.

The moment Helga felt her beloved place his hand there, it was as though all the aggressiveness in her body took that as its signal to leave. Helga looked over to see her boyfriend smiling at her, gently rubbing her leg back and forth. Her expression went from wide-eyed to dreamy, not caring how many people they were in front of.

Arnold picked up her hand to lace their fingers together as he leaned over to say "I have another surprise for you."

"Pttss...is it that you're a professional wrestler?" Helga scoffed.

"Maybe…."

Rolling her eyes, she scoffed "Oh don't flatter yourself!"

Helga's annoyed attitude had no effect on her beloved whatsoever. As he watched her continue to keep her eyes on the match, he thought about how none of the other girls in the class would enjoy this type of thing. Helga was special in so many ways. Arnold had asked himself _Why did he love Helga?_ Aside from her loyalty and bravery, perhaps it was her unique personality that made her stand out.

As he wrapped his arm around her, a slight chill formed in her body. She boy she had loved all her life was sitting in public, making it clear to everyone how he felt about her. How could she not do something to show him how much he meant to her?

Arnold turned to see her readily staring in his direction. With her wide, anxious, sapphire eyes, she began to lean in slowly. A small smile formed on her beloved's face, knowing she was finally coming around.

Helga rested her nose against her boyfriend's, no longer caring about the match. All she could think about was at last being a couple with Arnold.

Not taking her eyes off her beloved, Helga let out a small gulp as she whispered "Thanks for taking me out."

Arnold could feel the tension forming in her body with his arm still wrapped around her, along with the sight of her quivering lips. He at last took care of it, resting his against hers. What started as something short and sweet (meant to be a thank you) turned into a long and lingering proof of strong feelings for one another.

They were at last out in the open; enjoying themselves the way they had always hoped to.

 _After the Match_

As the crowds began to part, Arnold saw Helga anxiously standing from her seat. "Uh let's wait a minute."

"What for?"

"It's part of your surprise." he said bluntly, not knowing what other excuse to use.

Shrugging her shoulders, she sat back down and said "Alright whatever."

What the audience was gone, Helga turned to Arnold and scowled "Well that only took an hour to wait for! Sheesh!"

Arnold then took her hand and lead her towards the backroom. Not knowing what he was doing, Helga cocked her brow and asked "Where the heck are you taking me, football head?"

Rather than answering, Arnold showed her Harold standing at the end of the hallway.

"Hey, what's Pink boy doing here?"

"Well, Gerald told me the class feels pretty bad about what happened at school." Arnold began, seeing Helga cock her brow.

"So, Gerald got Harold to ask his cousin to let us in the back room and speak to the wrestlers, since he works as a security guard." Arnold explained, as they were approaching Harold.

"Hey Arnold. Hey Helga. The wrestlers are in there." Harold explained, as Helga rolled her eyes, thinking to herself... _Thanks for the tip_

"Thanks for doing this Harold! It meant a lot to us!" Arnold exclaimed, rubbing his girlfriend's hand.

Even Helga had to smile a little. Despite the class' reaction to their relationship, it was a nice thing to do for them.

"Yeah, thanks Harold." Helga said softly.

Although Arnold didn't care much for the sport, he was happy to see his girlfriend smile. What meant even more to him was seeing his friends accept their relationship. There wasn't much more either of them could ask for.

 _ **THE END**_

 _ **THANKS FOR READING**_

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW**_


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